Monday, September 22, 2008

Pillow disposal/recycling/reuse: a follow-up on the follow-up

After finding our blog in a webseach, and reading these posts about pillow disposal, a blog reader sent me this note:

When I contacted my local animal shelters about old pillows, they told me they cannot take them, as the animals shred them and can accidentally ingest the filling.
Thank you for the opportunity to do a little more research. I contacted two shelters local to our office.

One shelter responded with:

We do accept pillows. We also accept blankets (no wool), comforters, bathroom rugs, towels, beach towels, carpet squares, and mattress pads (no electric blankets).
The other wrote back, noting:
I am not a fan of pillows because the stuffing is usually not good for animals and is hard to clean because of its thickness. We desperately need blankets, towels, and sheets.
So, as is the case with many donation opportunities, check with your prospective recipients to confirm that they are able to use what you wish to give them. Our Use It Again Guide is one resource to help you direct your donations, and we're happy to receive your donations of tips to help us expand the Guide even further.